Chapter 56 "...Put, put me down!"...
After parting ways with Ori, Kokushibo immediately headed to the Infinity Castle, a distorted alternate dimension where Muzan Kibutsuji had been waiting for a long time.
He stood in the center of the platform, his bloodshot eyes narrowed, and gave the order to Kokushibo to destroy the Demon Slayer Corps.
Kokushibo had no interest in being controlled by him, nor in being harassed by Muzan Kibutsuji again and again in the days to come.
Unlike other ghosts, he is not threatened by blood; he came here simply to resolve the issue once and for all.
…………
In the vast alternate dimension, the once exquisite buildings were reduced to ruins, with flickering flames and billowing smoke, demonstrating the intensity of the battle.
Unlike other demons, Kokushibo's "Breathing of the Moon" technique is, in a sense, a natural counter to demons. If he were wielding a Nichirin Blade at this moment, the damage to Muzan would be even greater.
At a certain moment, as Kibutsuji Muzan looked at the sword slashing towards him, he suddenly had this thought. At that moment, he had already seen Kokushibo's determination.
If he were to harm that human woman, Kokushibo would inevitably fight him to the death. This would be tantamount to him personally pushing Kokushibo to the side of the Demon Slayer Corps, causing the scales to tip in their favor.
This infuriated Muzan Kibutsuji.
The cells at the severed arm are frantically repairing the wound; it's hard to say who has the upper hand and who has been defeated.
Kibutsuji Muzan revealed his menacing teeth, his face contorted with bulging, terrifying veins: "Are you sure you want to go against me?"
He still couldn't understand Kokushibo's obsession. She was just a human woman whose life was only a few decades long, and in the end, it would all be for nothing.
"I will not get involved in your fight with the Demon Slayer Corps. Don't bother us anymore." Kokushibo shook the blood off his sword, his face expressionless, and spoke slowly.
Unlike Muzan Kibutsuji, who has changed his identity countless times in human society, Kokushibo's threats were still very slow. Even after so many years as a demon, the marks he left behind in his human days have not been erased.
The result was, of course, a lose-lose situation, with Kokushibo and Muzan Kibutsuji briefly reaching a consensus of non-interference.
This is not unexpected. Their equally powerful regenerative abilities render their battle meaningless. Currently, only the sun can destroy the other.
And the other party can't just sit quietly in the sun.
"…………"
Without lingering, Kokushibo turned and left, this time with even less resistance than when he arrived.
After all, it was an attack by Muzan Kibutsuji. The minor wounds on Kokushibo's body had disappeared, but some wounds that were still throbbing and could kill an ordinary human a hundred times over were still there.
He needs to take care of himself first before going to find Azhi, otherwise his current appearance will definitely frighten her.
As Kokushibo stepped into the moonlit river, he suddenly remembered the question that Muzan Kibutsuji had left behind with gritted teeth at the end—why did he have to mingle with human women when demons were his kind?
Kokushibo didn't answer Muzan Kibutsuji's question at the time, but in that instant, many, many answers actually came to mind.
That was before he abandoned the name Jikuni Iwakatsu; he was still the heir of the Jikuni family, receiving the education due to an heir.
One summer afternoon, Tsugikuni Iwakatsu irritably dismissed his attendants and wandered aimlessly, somehow ending up at a place he had visited before.
Normally, this is a relatively secluded place where almost no one walks this way, but this time there were already people there.
The girl was clearly there to cool off, sitting lazily by the stream with her hem rolled up, revealing two fair and tender legs.
The shoes were clearly taken off haphazardly and were piled up casually to one side.
She propped herself up on her arms, her jet-black hair falling casually to the ground from her slender back, and her fair and smooth neck, illuminated by the light, revealed her slightly undulating collarbones.
She was so fair-skinned that even the backs of her legs were pink. Her legs were immersed in the water, and she looked relaxed and content with her eyes half-closed. Her fair feet occasionally splashed the water.
Just looking at it makes you feel incredibly happy.
Jiguo Yansheng stood there in the corridor for a long time, completely unaware of the passage of time.
It wasn't until the girl noticed his arrival.
Azhi withdrew her foot embarrassedly. She hadn't had time to dry it, so she stood barefoot on the grass, water droplets running down her smooth calves without any obstruction.
It immediately makes one imagine how smooth and silky it would feel to the touch.
Ji Guoyan was bewitched, unaware of how aggressive his gaze was as he slowly slid down towards the girl, as if it were truly carrying a caressing force.
Azhi clenched her toes, a vague sense of fear creeping over her, and took a step back.
She quickly slipped into her shoes, naturally assuming he was there to see her younger brother, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, and pointed to the side: "Yoriichi went out and hasn't come back yet."
No, I'm not here to see Yoriichi.
Ji Guoyan heard his own answer.
Azhi was caught off guard by the sunlight. She squinted like a kitten, then tilted her head and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
It's like she's being coquettish.
Ji Guoyansheng's face was half-hidden under the wisps of hair on his forehead, making it impossible to discern his expression. However, the aura emanating from him was far from relaxed.
Azhi noticed this and immediately misunderstood. She walked over, tiptoed slightly, and covered his cheek with her hands, which were still wet from playing in the water.
She frowned and asked with concern, "Is this the head of the family?"
Azhi witnessed the scene of Guoji Guoyan being slapped by the head of the family. He would not hold back at all when it came to his own children, which would give anyone a nightmare.
Ji Guoyan Sheng dared not look at her.
Before coming here, he had indeed been scolded by his father again, but he wasn't beaten. The reasons for the scolding were the same as before, which is why he was so upset.
The girl's eyes sparkled like honey flowing in the sunlight, and her pink lips parted slightly to reveal teeth as small as grains of rice, exuding a sweet and delightful charm.
Ji Guoyan Sheng didn't pay much attention to what A Zhi was saying. He broke out in a cold sweat and suddenly remembered the scene he had just witnessed. His mouth felt dry.
He restrained himself from looking away, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily. He covered his chest with one hand, trying to calm his abnormally pounding heartbeat.
Azhi grew increasingly anxious, even suspecting that the head of the family had physically punished Tsugikuni Iwakatsu, who also had injuries: "Is it a pain in your chest?"
Ji Guoyan shook his head, but inwardly he felt a sense of relief at the girl's slowness, which was incongruous with his status.
…………
This is just a small part of Ji Guoyansheng's countless memories, but it is more than enough to serve as an answer.
He casually brushed the water droplets off his cheeks; the cool lake water couldn't extinguish the heat radiating from his body, making it all the more pronounced in comparison.
After gritting his teeth and enduring the pain, Ji Guoyan washed the blood off his body and slowly walked to the shore, casually putting on his outer garment.
He wanted to bring Azhi back as soon as possible; after all, these few days were enough for her to say goodbye to the people she knew.
********
Azhi and Jiguoyuan stared at each other, neither of them speaking, and a silent silence spread.
"...Put me down!"
Ah Zhi finally mustered up her courage and broke the eye contact between the two of them. She leaned back, her face flushed slightly.
Although her tone was demanding, the volume of her voice was noticeably low, especially during the pause in the middle, which made her sound inexplicably softer.
She still didn't feel safe. She wanted to close her legs to create some distance, so she tried to pry open the red-haired swordsman's hand that was restraining her, making her intentions all the more obvious.
However, Yoriichi Tsugikuni seemed not to notice, and his hands, which were gradually returning to normal body temperature, remained steadily on the girl's legs. Aori inexplicably saw a look of grievance on his face.
"…………"
A-Zhi: What is this person feeling wronged about?
She frowned and continued to pry his hand away, repeating herself, her voice unconsciously becoming softer: "I want to go down."
To be honest, Ji Guoyuan doesn't quite understand anything right now, but that doesn't matter...
He stared intently at the girl so close to him, his voice, which he hadn't used in a long time, becoming less hoarse with tenderness, and suddenly spoke into her ear: "A-Zhi."
It was Yoriichi Tsugikuni calling her name.
Aori thought to herself, feeling a little dizzy, when she realized something was off—how did Yoriichi Tsugikuni know her name?
But what made her even more dizzy was yet to come.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni also sat up. He ignored the protesting body and considerately supported the girl's waist to prevent her from falling over in her dazed state. He was extremely thoughtful.
The swordsman who sat up was indeed extremely tall. Azhi looked up at him and unconsciously bent her legs, her knees touching his lower abdomen, almost kneeling in his lap.
It didn't take up much weight, but I felt even more sleepy than before.
Yoriichi lowered his eyes, slowly bent down, and reverently took Aori's fingertips, gently pecking at them with his pale lips.
As if handling something most precious, his high nose bridge brushed against his fingertips, his breath warm against them.
He kissed the very finger that had just released the drop of blood.
Ah Zhi had long forgotten about it, and even the slight pain she felt back then had become very vague.
But Yoriichi's expression, which was entirely driven by a fear of hurting her, left her unsure how to react.
She gasped for breath, her eyelashes trembling slightly...
Those who happened to be passing by witnessed this scene.
"—A-Zhi!"
"—Miss Aori!"
It was impossible to distinguish how many voices were mixed together, but there was no doubt that the owners of those voices were all filled with worry.
To be honest, Aori's scream just now wasn't loud at all; it was almost blended into the night wind. But what could be more impressive was that there was Zenitsu Agatsuma in the group, whose hearing was exceptionally sharp.
Therefore, when Zenitsu said with some uncertainty that he seemed to hear the girl crying softly, Giyu Tomioka and Sabito immediately ignored Ori's prior warning not to get too close.
Although they wanted Azhi to recall as many memories as possible, that didn't mean they wanted her to cry.
The specifics would only be known after meeting the girl, but Sabito was already vaguely regretting his decision.
When everyone arrived at Azhi's place as quickly as possible, they couldn't believe their eyes. In just half an hour, their understanding was once again violently impacted.
The first to respond to their arrival was not the girl, but the red-haired swordsman who should have been lying in the coffin with his eyes closed.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni held the girl's hand in one hand and placed it to his lips, as if kissing a handful of fine snow. With his other hand, he gently encircled Aori's lower back.
He noticed the commotion early on, frowned, turned his head, and a wary look appeared on his expressionless face, making people feel an overwhelming pressure.
Immediately afterward, the girl looked over a beat later, revealing her eyes, which had been washed with water. The corners of her eyes were still flushed, as if she had been badly bullied.
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Author's Note: Kokushibo: Trouble solved, time to go pick up my wife!
Yoriichi: Wife, let's stick together!
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2023-06-16 22:15:11 and 2023-06-18 21:55:42!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: HEKT 1;
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: HEKT 15 bottles; Siyang 10 bottles; Duanjiujiu 2 bottles;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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